


I Thought I Saw A Ghost

by DesertDraggon



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 18:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6819688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertDraggon/pseuds/DesertDraggon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>McCree finds out what happened to his old partner after nearly dying by his hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Thought I Saw A Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Someday people will ship McCreaper. Someday. Enjoy the trash ship of the century.

One bullet. That was all he had left. 

The opposing crew had massacred McCree’s squad, the poor bastards. He was grateful their deaths were quick. This was supposed to be a simple drug trade clean out. Get rid of the gang, make um too scared to come back, that's what the Sergeant said. Nothing went according to plan, and now there's only one bullet left. One bullet and him.

Apparently the leader of the drug ring was former Blackwatch, some smallfry Jesse might’ve recognized from back in training. The Sarge failed to mention that, which meant he wasn't the only one hunting the guy down, and now he had a two for one takeout deal.

Reaper.

McCree coughed violently, flooding his mouth with the god awful taste of copper. He pressed his gloved hand harder on the bullet wound in his side. The monster had caught him off guard yet again, things didn’t look so hot. His cybernetic arm was busted, wouldn't even move anymore. Left eye swolen shut and blinded by the blood gushing from a cut above his brow. 

He’s also pretty damn sure his ankle broke when he tripped up the stairs during his getaway. Maybe it's just sprang? He moved it just to check and winced, sucking in a sharp breath. Nope. Definitely broke it. 

He leans back further against the crates. Maybe it's time, for him to go that is. Embrace death or whatever hootinany those who heard the rumers would spout. He was done for, it was a shitty run, with shitty people who couldn't give a horse shit about him. Maybe this was for the best…

Black smoke swirling in front of him started McCree from his thoughts. He appeared, bone mask bright as day in the dark shadows of the warehouse. The gunslinger froze, his breath catching, anticipating that creep’s final blow.

It never came.

Reaper’s shotguns appeared to be holdstered, the ghost just standing there, fingers twitching. Slowly he set into a crouch, the dark eyes of the mask level with McCree’s own eyes.

“Well… what’re ya waitin’ for? Bleeding out might take a while.” He cracked, sure there would be no reply from the ghost. He was wrong, as usual.

“I’m sorry.” Came the low rumble, muffled by the mask. It sent Jesse’s brain spinning, he had heard thta voice before, somewhere. “I didn't know it was you.” 

“Who the hell are you? And how long exactly did it take ya, nearly killin’ me in the process, ta figure out who I was? Just get on with it, I don't need your shitty sentiment.” Reaper didn't even flinch as Jesse spat, hitting his mask dead on. Instead he stared, not moving, until he looked down, bringing a clawed hand up to grasp and remove his mask.

Ghost… it seemed appropriate, seeing as the last McCree heard of Reyes was that he was very, very dead.

“James?” Jesse croaked, his eyes beginning to prickle as he took in the sight of the man’s face. He was so pale, sunken, broken. A corpse reanimated. His dark eyes were filled with so much pain and little else, as if that was all that was left of his soul. 

One of those sharp gauntlets were raised to Jesse’s face, the metal softly sliding down his cheek. It sent shivers down the outlaw’s spine and his heart racing. 

“It’s been a while, ingrate.” The voice, unaltered from the mask sounded so tired, quiet. 

“What happened to ya, James? Why… why are ya goin’ after us. We're already at out lowest…” McCree questioned, interrupted by another string of coughs and blood. Reyes put his mask back on, staying silent as he moved to lift his former partner from the ground. Suddenly their world went black, smoke devouring them both. 

__

Jesse assumed when he opened his eyes it was just the smoke clearing away, but instead he was stripped down to his underwear and curled up in some twin bed somewhere. 

His attempt to sit up was thwarted by the bullet wound in his side, leaving him to crain his neck in an attempt to survey the room he was in. From his vantage it was bare. A couple crates in the far end, where his gear was discarded, and a small table beside his bed. The curtains glowed with the light of the sunrise, but practically blacked out the room with how thick and dark they were. 

McCree settled back into the pillows to let his neck rest, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. He might as well just be the only person to survive a Reaper attack. A Reyes attack. His mind supplied. 

He still couldn't believe it, the man he fell in love with long before he even joined Blackwatch was alive. Well, for the most part. But he was there, he was alive, and he still felt the same. At least he hoped that's what Reyes meant by sparing his life. God did he hope.

The door near the foot of his bed opened and in walked Reyes. He was sans his Reaper getup, in just tactical pants and a loose shirt, and carrying a bag of Betty’s Burgers. Once the door was shut again their eyes met. James was the first to look away, moving around the bed and sitting down in a chair that seemed to be there. 

“Got your usual.” He spoke finally, lifting the bag and placing it on the bedside table. Jesse couldn't help the small smile. Reyes’ lips twitched in response just like they used to.

“Could use some help sittin’ up. Side’s killin’ me.” He replied, realizing how sore his throat was afterwards. Reyes nodded, standing up to help McCree sit, holding him up as he stacked the pillows up behind him. Once he was done the gunslinger settled back with a sigh. 

Reyes grabbed the brown bag and dug in it, pulling out a bottle of water. After setting it on the bed he oped the bottle to hand to McCree, who took it muttering a thanks as he downed half of it. When he was done Reyes had already sat back down and pulled out a pack of fries, barely munching on them. 

“So what happened, ya never answered me. How did this happen to ya, spooks?” James seemed offput by the use of his old nickname but recovered quickly.

“Overwatch happened. More specifically… Doctor Ziegler.” He hissed the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth. Jesse paused in unwrapping his own burger to stare at his partner in disbelief.

“What? Mercy? She’s a doctor not a mad scientist, how the hell did she turn ya into Casper the not so friendly ghost?” James shot a bitter glare at Jesse.

“She didn't act alone. I got volunteered for some experimental genetic alterations, to give soldiers a regenerative factor. But they fucked it up. The fucked me up. I'm constantly in a state of dying and repairing and the only way to survive is through the souls of others. I'm some fucked up combat vampire, Jess.” His rant left Jesse dumbstruck, confused, sick. 

“Alright, I'm seein’ the whole picture here… what the hell. Why didn't you, come find me or, fuck, ask for help?” James huffed, sitting back in his chair, crossing his arms. 

“They did this to me on purpose. They knew about my plans for attacking Overwatch. They hardly hindered them in the least.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Great big mess that was, thanks a lot by the way. Now I'm a damn outlaw again, nobody wants nothing to do with my sorry ass if it ain't shootin’ up some folks for um.” Jesse countered with his own grumbling attitude. James sighed.

“I’m sorry… it didn't exactly work out the way I intended.”

“No shit.”

“Jesse…” the reaper growled.

“What, ya expect me to feel sorry for your ass? Well you're right, I do, about the damn experiments they did in you. No one deserves that kind of bullshit. But you stabbin people in the back has always been trouble for you. Learn your damn lesson.” Jesse felt like he was scolding a child, at least while James has a taken aback look on his face. 

It quickly turned into a smoulder. “Why, the last time I stabbed someone in the back they became my idiot boyfriend. Maybe I was hoping for a repeat result.” Jesse snorted, eyes rolling as he took a bite out of his burger.

“Well… you've got me back now. So I guess it did work accordin’ to plan.” 

“I wouldn't mind that.”

“Neither would I…”


End file.
